KEEPING GERMANY DISARMED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25160, 16 April 1947, Page 7

KEEPING GERMANY DISARMED

Proposed Four-Power Treaty

MARSHALL CALLS FOR DECISION

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOSCOW, April 14. General Marshall to-day proposed that the Council of Foreign Ministers «hould immediately appoint plenipotentiaries to negotiate promptly a fourpower treaty to curb German aggression for 40 years on the lines of the Byrnes plan. He also proposed that any prohibitions in the proposed treaty should be included in the peace treaty in order to bind the German State and become the law of the land. General Marshall said that there had been ample time for reflection. The time had now come for the three other Allied Powers to decide whether or not they wanted a four-Power treaty to keep Germany disarmed. He aid not. at the moment, ask for any consideration of the text. General Marshall suggested that the treaty should provide for a periodic review of its terms and for its adaptation to the eventual peace treaty. Mr Bidault. replying, said he was happy to welcome and accept the suggestion. He emphasised that the pact would not be enough. France would Insist on special regimes for the Ruhr and the Rhineland, and their separation from Germany as a supplement to the disarmament treaty. Mr Bevin also welcomed the proposed four-Power treaty. He said that fuch a treaty would have prevented the Second World War. Mr Molotov proposed a series of additions and amendments. He wanted such points as denazification, fourpower control of the Ruhr, the destruction of cartels and the control of factories by States included, as well as demilitarisation. Although Mr Molotov did not reply to the specific proposal that the council should appoint plenipotentiaries, official sources said that the fact that fce proposed amendments, indicated Russian approval of the treaty in principle. General Marshall circulated a memorandum clearing up points of procedure on the peace treaty which the other foreign ministers had raised. America had originally proposed that all States which were at war with Germany, should have full and equal rights at the Peace Conference. The memorandum said that America had now agreed: (1) That conference recommendations decided by either a two-thirds or simple majority vote should not only require a majority of all States present and voting, but also of those which were neighbours of Germany or participated with armed forces in the war. (2) That the Foreign Ministers should consider recommendations based on either type of vote when they drew up the final peace treaty memorandum. It was added, however, that twothirds recommendations should carry greater weight than simple majority recommendations, and the council was not bound to accept either.

♦ General Marshall also said he agreed tne German Government’s signing tne treaty in addition to his original

proposal that acknowledgement of the treaty should be placed in the constitution.

GERMAN ECONOMIC PROBLEM

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RECOMMENDATIONS (Rec. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 15. The establishment of central German governmental agencies and the elimination of “government by a quadripartite committee” were recommended by a special committee of the International Chamber of Commerce on the German economic problem, says “The Times.” The committee, consisting of British, American, French, Belgian, Danish. Netherlands, Swedish, and Swiss representatives also suggested: (1) That incentive should be restored to the German worker by the provision of more consumer goods from domestic output. (2) That German exporters should be allowed to use part of the foreign exchange they earn to purchase raw materials.

(3) That wages should gradually be freed and that when prices and wages have adjusted themselves a new parity for the mark should be fixed.